Vehicle-wheel



W. M. PAHHAM.

VEHICLVEWHEEL.' APPLICATIQN FILED AUG. I, |918.

Patented Aug 17, 192,0. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l;

n lll w. M. PAHHAM.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLpcATloN FILED AUG. 1

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. N

WILLIAM ivi. PARHAM, on SPBINGIHILL, rniviviissiiii.`

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Speeication of Letters Patent. `Padggjltd And, 117, 1920 Application filed August 1, 1918. Serial No. 247,814.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. PARHAM,

a citizen el the United States, residing at- Spring Hill, in the county of Maury and State oi Tennessee, `have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle`` Wheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact ydescription of the invention, such as will enable others "skilled inthe art to which it appertains to malre` and use `the same.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels cushioning the shocks receivedthereby;

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is applicable to wagons,.automobiles, railway rolling stock or other vehicles.

Further objects Iof ther invention are to provide a device which will lessen the inotive power required to propel the vehicle, which will reduce the liability of the wheel shielding, which will lessen the amount of dust raised by the contact of the wheel with the road and which will also lessen thein` jury to the road surface.

details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which accordance withone form of my invention;

F ig. 2 is a central section View, the section being taken substantially along the line 2 2 oi Fig. 1;

Fig.` 3 is a section along the line 3-3 `of Fig. ll, thisA figure illustrating a modified form 'of' my invention; f f

Fig, l is a central sectional view-through this modified form of the invention, the

section being taken at right angles to that of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail View. i. Referring to these drawings in detail, 1n

which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts "throughout the several views, the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a stationary or non-rotary axle 5; a wheel 6 mounted to rotate on the end of the.` axle 5, and provided with a pair oi" peripheral flanges or shoulders 7 a hollow wheel `8 provided with a pair of annular-flanges or shoulders 9 which are of less diameter thanthe iianges or shoulde 7, this wheel being of greater diameter than thewheel G and provided with a cen-` tral opening 1.0 through which the aXle 5 extends;- an annulus 11 which is secured on the outer Surface oi thewheel 8 and is coaxial therewith; aV supporting structure 12 which is secured to the axle 5 and comprises an arm 13, bearings 14; and securing bolts 15, the arm 13 being diametrically opposed to the bearings let.; a rocker 1.6; levers 17 pivotally mounted at 1S on the arm 13, these levers having parallel spaced ends 19; a spring 20 which constantly tends" to draw the arnis19 together; and an actuating element`21 which is pivotally con nected to the rocker 16, and` may be con-` nected to a hemel-lever` (not shown) or to any suitablemeans by which it is operable to rock and hold the rocker 16.

rIhe wheel S may be oll any appropriate construction, that` is, it may be iornied of any `desired material: or materials, and may, if desired, be provided with a cushion or pneunjiatic tire around its periphery. This wheel is', however, preferably formed oi|` two parts, as shown in Fig. 2, and connected by screws or other securingmeans, as illustrated at l2.2. The annulus `1l may be providedwith a radial flange 23 which secured to the wheel S` by screws or bolts, as

, V illustrated, oi" by other appropriate means. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel and its controlling mechanism constructed in` rocker, as disclosed in the present embodinientofmy invention, comprises a shaft 25, an arm or crank 26, a crank pinQ/, an arni 28 and a wheel or roller 29, thelatter being `journaled on .the arm 2S and` embraced be# tween the substantially" parallel ends 19` oi' the lever 17. It will be seen, therefore, that when the actuating element 2l is moved vwheel A8.

relation to the annulus and the wheel 8 toi which the annulus is fixed. In thus shifting the axle 5, the wheel 6 is shifted accordingly, and the point of contact between the shoulders 't' and 9 is shifted either forward or rearward beyond the line 2 2 (see Fig. 1), according to the direction in which the actuating` member 21 has been moved.

Then the device is standing still, it may be assumed .that the several correlated elements of this device are in the position indicated in F ig. 1 with relation to one another, and that it is desired to force the vehicle-wheel toV move toward the right. In

y thisevent, the actuator 21 would be moved in the direction Vfor swinging the arm 28 toward the left until the left-hand lever 17 moves its extension 24 against the annulus 11, and a continuation of this movement causes the axle 5 to'move forward or rightward with relation to the annulus 11 and This relative movement of the wheels 6 and 8 shifts their contact point from the line 2 2 to a point leftward of this line, vthe distance which the contact point is shifted being commensurate with the distance which the actuating member 21 is moved. Now, by way of illustration assume.A that this contact point has been thus shifted leftward or rearward slightly, say 5o tov15O from the line 2 2 and secured in this position it will loe seen that the wheel 6 now exerts a forward pressure and then when the propelling force is applied to axle 5, this produces a pulling downward' pressure against the annular shoulder 9 of the wheel 8, and this pressure facilitates the forward movement of the ground-wheel S. Now, suppose, for instance, that the ground-wheel is obstructed or impeded by an immovable obstruction in front thereof, such as a ledge of rock, a railroad track, etc.: It will be seen that by shifting the contact point of the shoulders 7 and 9 rearward, the added'impetus. thereby gained would materially assist the motive power in overcoming this obstruction. On the other hand, it may be assumed that it is desired to back the vehicle which comprises wheels of this character, and it is obviously only necessary to reverse the movement of the actuating member 21 and secure it in the desired reversed position, so as to overcome an obstruction behind the wheel.

The foregoing principle is applicable in connection with vehicles having rotary axles, as disclosed in Figs. 3 and et, in which 50 designates a rotary axle which is carried by an automobile wheel 51 of ordinary construction and comprises a pneumatic tire 52. r1`he wheel 51 is attached to axle 50, and the latter is rotatable in relier bearings 53 which are disposed within a non-rotary hollow shaft 54. Upon this hollow shaft is disposed the supporting strueture 12 which carries the rocker 1G and the levers 17. The mechanism carried by the hollow shaft 54e may be identical with the mechanism previously described as being carried by the shaft 5, except that the hollow shaft 5a carries the rotary `shaft 50, and does not carry a wheel G. ln this modified form, a wheel 60 replaces the wheel t, said wheel GO being provided with annular pcripheral iianges or shoulders 'T0 and with an annular or cylindrical track member (il, on the inner surface of which the wheel :3l rolls, an aperture 62 being provided lor the shaft 50 to extend out ard therethrough, this aperture being of much greater diameter than the shaft 50. The `ground wheel in this modified form is indicated by the numeral S0 and is provided with annular flanges or shoulders 90 which correspond with the shoulders 9 of Figs. 1 and 2 and these annular shoulders 90 are of vless diameter than these annular shoulders T0, and normally support the latter at points in the vert-ical axial plane of the groundwheel. The wheel S0 may be forn'led of several parts as indicated in Fig. l, these parts being united by means iiulieated at S1. The annulus 11 may be identical iu shape and position with that I neviously described and cooperates with the rocker 1G and its adjuncts in the manner previously described with regard to Figs. 1 and 2. However, the operation of this modilied form is somewhat different, because the axle 5 is stationary and the axle 50 is rotary. Therefore, as the wheel 51 rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. Si, its rotation imparts a rotary movement to the wheel ou, and this wheel, in turn, imparts a rotary motion to the wheel S0. Vhen it is desired to effect the rotary movement of the wheels from a position of rest, the actuating element 21 is shifted so as to move the axles 541- and 50 forward with relationA to the wheel S0. Obviously, since the wheel 51 is in engagement with the wheel G0 at its lowest point, a forward movement of the wheel 51 effects a forward movement of the lower part of the wheel 60, thereby changing and holding the contact points of the annular shoulders and 90 to a point rearward of the vertical plane which coincides with the axis of the wheel and this changing and holding of the contact point, or point of support of the wheel (SO and then when the propelling force of the axle is applied it forces the vehicle-wheel forward and thereby effects substantially the same result as described for the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The combination in a vehicle supporting mechanism, of an axle, a wheel having a peripheral shoulder thereon, and a second wheel of greater diameter than the first said wheel and having an annular shoulder of less diameter than the said peripheral shoulder, the shoulder of greater diameter being supported on the shoulder of less diameter at a point of contact above said axle, a support on said axle, a rocker on said support, an arm on said support, a pair of levers pivotally mounted on said arm and extendingl on opposite sides of said axle, means connecting the free ends of said levers with said rocker in a relation to enable them to be actuated by the rocker, and means carried by the wheel of greater diameter and operable by said levers to shift said point of contact relative to the vertical plane that icoincides with the axis of said wheel of greater diameter.

2. The combination in a vehicle supporting mechanism, of an axle, a wheel having a peripheral shoulder thereon, and a second wheel of greater diameter than the first said wheel and having an annular shoulder of less diameter than the said peripheral shoulder, the shoulder of greater diameter being supported on the shoulder of less diameter at a point of contact above said axle; a support on said axle, a rocker on said support, an arm on said support, a pair of levers pivotally mounted on said arm and extending on opposite sides of said axle, means connecting the free ends of said levers with said rocker in a relation to enable them to be actuated by the rocker, an annulus on said wheel of greater diameter, and laterally extending elements on said levers and movable thereby so as to coperateV with said annulus for shifting said point of contact forward and rearward beyond the plane that coincides with the axis of said wheel of greater diameter'.

3. In combination, a for, a supporting wheel of greater diameter than the first said wheel and supporting wheel, an axle theretogether, a roller embraced by said parallel ends, a rock-shaft journaled in said supporting structure, an arm on said rock-shaft and carrying said roller, means to rock said rock-shaft, and rollers carried by said levers and movable thereby against the inner surface of said annulus so as to coperate with the latter and thereby shift the said contact point forward and rearward according to the direction in which said means moves said rock-shaft.

l. In combination, a resilient tread wheel, a rotary axle secured thereto, a hollow wheel having a concaved cylindrical surface on which the first said wheel rolls, said hollow wheel having annular peripheral flanges, an outer hollow cylindrical wheel having annular shoulders of less external diameter than the internal diameter of said peripheral flanges, said flanges having their internal concaved surfaces supported on the convexed outer surfaces of said shoulders so that said hollow wheel issuspended within said outer cylindrical wheel, an annulus on the outer surface of said cylindrical Wheel, a bearing in which said axle is mounted for rotation, a support on said bearing, a rocker on said support, a pair of levers pivotally connected to said support and extending on opposite sides of said axle and being inclosed by said annulus, and means yieldingly connecting the free ends of said levers to one another, said rockers having an element between said levers and being operable to press said levers against the front and rear inner surfaces of said annulus and thereby shift the supporting contact point of said shoulder and flange forward and rearward.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

W'ILLIAM M. PARHAM. 

